Love strikes in the funniest places
by MiNdY
Summary: A trip to the Muggle world, one week of fun with your paired-up partner. And yet...Oliver Wood and Cho Chang are trapped in the strangest place together. What would happen between the Ravenclaw seeker and Gryffindor Quidditch Captain?
1. Collisions and Bruises

It was morning.  
  
Oliver Wood got up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked, looking out of the window. And he rubbed his eyes and looked again, not believing what he saw.  
  
The sky was bright.  
  
"OH DAMN. I'M LATE!" shouted the Quidditch captain to himself. Grabbing his broomstick and Quidditch uniform, the 16 year old boy sped out of the room.  
  
He had been scheduled to meet the rest of the team on the Quidditch pitch at 5am in the morning, when it was still dark. He had said that this would be good for training their eyesight. After all, there are times when you'd have to play in the rain. But he himself had been late! The captain! He should be setting a good example. In his mad rush, he failed to see Cho Chang coming towards him around the bend. And when he did, it was too late. Both of them collided into each other, and Cho Chang landed right on top of Oliver.  
  
"Really Oliver, you should watch where you're going," she said, smiling as she picked herself up from the floor. She didn't seem to notice that Oliver's face was flushed.  
  
"Erm.sorry.Quidditch.practice.pitch.late," Oliver stuttered, only managing to get these few words out. Like Harry, he found the Ravenclaw seeker very pretty.  
  
"Well, you'd better be on your way then," She smiled, and walked down the corridor.  
  
Oliver watched as she walked away, until he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be at the pitch an hour and a half ago.  
  
"Curses!" he muttered to himself, and ran all the way to the pitch.  
  
**  
  
"What's the meaning of this, Wood?"  
  
Fred Weasley obviously sounded annoyed. "You made us get up at 5am in the morning to come down here, only to find out the one who was organising this practice isn't here yet?"  
  
"Yeah Oliver, you made us wait for you for almost two hours!" said George.  
  
"I'm really sorry guys.and girls," said a flustered Oliver. "I overslept."  
  
"So what are you going to do to appease us, huh?" grinned Fred.  
  
"Er.can we talk about this later? We're already late for practice," said Oliver.  
  
"YOU were late for practice, not us. We've been practicing for the past two hours," said Alicia Spinnet smugly.  
  
"Oh all right.what do you want me to do?" Oliver sighed. He knew nothing good was going to come out of this.  
  
Fred grinned. "It's simple. Just let us whack you with our broomsticks!"  
  
"No cheating," grinned George, and took Oliver's broomstick away from him.  
  
Before Oliver knew it, he was being chased by all of his teammates, all with their broomsticks raised.  
  
**  
  
"Owwww."  
  
"You were lucky I didn't hit you, Oliver.look at what the twins did," laughed Harry, as he applied some medicine onto Oliver's bruises.  
  
"I didn't expect them to hit me THAT hard," grumbled Wood, his handsome features distorted slightly, as he winced in pain.  
  
"Haha. Just be careful the next time the twins ask you to let them do anything," said Angelina Johnson, smiling. "You know them.especially Fred." At the mention of Fred's name, her face suddenly became dreamy.  
  
"Yes yes.ESPECIALLY Fred." Katie Bell laughed at the expression on her fellow Chaser's face. "Come on, I'm dead beat.let's get back to our dorms."  
  
They all left the room, leaving Harry to apply medicine for the Quidditch captain.  
  
Suddenly, Oliver thought of something.  
  
"Say, Harry. What do you think of Cho Chang?" he asked distractedly.  
  
Harry's face turned bright red. "Erm. Nothing. A good seeker."  
  
"Really?" said Oliver, not noticing the look on Harry's face. "Don't you think she's pretty?"  
  
"Oliver why're you asking me this?" said Harry, surprised at the question.  
  
"What? Oh nothing." Oliver smiled distractedly. The pain seemed to be gone now that he was thinking of Cho Chang. 


	2. Wondering...

When Harry had left the common room to go back to his dormitory, Oliver sat in the armchair alone, thinking about what happened earlier that day. He had no idea why, but he felt absolutely on cloud nine. Although he had been late for the Quidditch practice he had organised, and he had been whacked by his teammates with their broomsticks, he still felt extremely happy. Maybe it was because of the fact that he had knocked into Cho Chang that morning, and she had fallen right on top of him! He had felt her hands pressing against his torso as she fell onto him, and he had stared right into those dark brown eyes. He had felt her long brown hair brushing against his cheek, and although she got up almost immediately, Oliver had noticed, once again, how beautiful she was.  
  
Oliver blinked. Inside him, a nagging voice said, "She'll never like you, she likes only Cedric Diggory. Give it up, Oliver Wood. How can one like you dream of winning an angel's heart?"  
  
He shook those thoughts away. Even though she liked someone else, it wouldn't stop Oliver from admiring her from afar. After all, what harm could that do? He enjoys watching the way she walks, the way she smiles, the way she scratches her head in frustration when she can't get any problem solved, or when she was thinking hard. He loved the sound of her laughter. It was like music to his ears. Oliver pondered over these thoughts for a little while longer, before leaving the common room to go to his dormitory.  
  
**  
  
Meanwhile, Harry was also confused. He lay on his bed in the dormitory. Ron was still asleep. What a pig, thought Harry. But this gave him time to sort out his thoughts. Why had Oliver asked him about Cho? Did he notice that Harry liked her very much? Did he find out somehow? He had never told anyone. This confused him.  
  
"Oh well," he said quietly to himself. "So what if he knows? It wouldn't hurt anyone."  
  
Ron stirred. Harry got out of bed quickly.  
  
"Oi! Ron! Get up!" He shouted. There wasn't anyone in the dormitory already, although it was a Saturday. Ron was the only one still asleep. He prodded Ron.  
  
"Mfghm?" muttered Ron.  
  
"Get up, you're the only one still asleep," said Harry, poking Ron in the ribs.  
  
"Ow! Okay okay.I'm up." Ron looked at Harry. "What are YOU doing up so early? Normally I have to pull you awake."  
  
"I had Quidditch practice at 5am this morning, remember?" said Harry.  
  
"Oh yeah. Okay. Let's go for breakfast. I'm starving," grinned Ron.  
  
"Yeah, at this rate you're getting changed, there won't be enough food left," said Harry, smiling.  
  
**  
  
Oliver was already in the Great Hall. He was having his breakfast too. Harry and Ron looked around for Hermione, and when they couldn't find her, Harry suggested sitting with Oliver. The Gryffindor Quidditch Captain was sitting alone, chewing his bread distractedly.  
  
I wonder what's wrong with him, thought Harry. He has been like that all morning, since the time I was applying the medicine for him.  
  
"Hey Oliver!" said Harry cheerfully, as he and Ron took up the two spaces beside Oliver. Oliver jumped, startled.  
  
"Oh Harry. Hi," he smiled, and continued to eat his breakfast.  
  
"What's up, Wood?" said Ron conversationally.  
  
"Oh nothing much, Ron. I was late for practice," said Oliver.  
  
"What? The obsessed Quidditch captain late for practice? That's one piece of big news!" Ron grinned.  
  
Oliver smiled in the same distracted way he had smiled at Harry earlier that morning.  
  
Initially, Harry didn't notice anything. But when he followed Oliver's dreamy gaze, he realised that Oliver was staring right at the Ravenclaw table. And from the angle he was looking (Harry didn't take Arithmetic but he still knew how to estimate), he was staring at. . . Cho Chang. Oliver Wood, in love with Cho Chang? That was really strange. But judging from the questions that he asked Harry that morning, and the way he was looking at her, it certainly seems true.  
  
Harry nudged Ron, and pointed in Oliver's direction. Ron looked, and grinned. He understood what Harry was thinking.  
  
"Well Oliver, we'd better be going now. See you tomorrow at Quidditch practice. Don't be late again," chuckled Harry. Oliver nodded.  
  
Harry and Ron left the Great Hall. 


	3. A Dream Come True.

"I guess it's pretty absurd, don't you?" said Harry to Ron. "I can't believe he actually likes Cho. I mean, he told me at that Quidditch match to knock her off her broom if I had to."  
  
"Well, he IS obsessed with winning. Especially where Quidditch is concerned," grinned Ron..  
  
"Yeah, he is," said Harry, smiling.  
  
Harry thought about the time when he first saw Cho. He had noticed immediately that she was really pretty. He wondered how come Oliver didn't notice it at first sight. Oh well, Oliver WAS obsessed with winning. Maybe he had let that obsession get in the way of seeing things clearly.  
  
Suddenly a nagging question at the back of his head surfaced. Where WAS Hermione?  
  
**  
  
Hermione, it turned out, was in the library. She was looking up some facts for her essay, and had spent the whole morning in the library doing it. She had been there since the library opened at 6am, and surprisingly, her essay was only half-done (half-done to Hermione meant two whole rolls of parchment and still not enough). She frowned and looked at her watch. It was 9am. The boys would be wondering where she was, it was way past breakfast time. Surprisingly, she didn't feel hungry, so she packed up and went off to look for the boys in their common haunts.  
  
She found the boys in the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Hey Hermione," said Ron in an excited whisper. "You wouldn't believe this. Oliver actually likes Cho!"  
  
"Really Ron, you shouldn't keep nosing around people's affairs, you can't even handle yours!" said Hermione.  
  
Ron turned red. "Of course I can handle mine! It's just that I thought YOU might want to know. You know, girls being nosy and all that."  
  
"I don't think I'm half as nosy as you, Ron," said Hermione, grinning cheekily.  
  
"Oh yes you ar--" his rebuttal was cut off by Harry, who said, "Stop quarreling, the both of you. You quarrel every time you see each other. By the way, where WERE you during breakfast?" He turned to Hermione.  
  
"In the library, trying to finish my essay," she said. Ron rolled his eyes.  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.  
  
**  
  
On Monday morning, during breakfast in the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore made a startling announcement.  
  
"I would like everyone to know, that we are organising a trip into the Muggle world, to allow wizards who have never experienced Muggle life to survive a few days on their own. Do not worry, because we will put you in pairs. One in the pair would certainly have, in our opinion, enough Muggle knowledge to help you get through the one week trip. Either the person takes Muggle Studies, or was born in a Muggle family. In addition, you would be put in boy-girl pairs, just to ensure discipline and to cultivate respect between genders as well. And there would be no limitation on houses. After all, Hogwarts is one big family. You'll have to learn to trust one another. You will be randomly picked."  
  
This sounds exciting, thought Wood. He started to imagine a one week trip with him and Cho Chang. He grinned to himself. THAT would never happen.  
  
The picking of names had already started.  
  
"Harry Potter and Hannah Abbot!"  
  
"Ron Weasley and Penelope Clearwater!" "Just what I need," muttered Ron. "Percy's girlfriend!"  
  
"Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger!" "WHAT?" said Hermione. She wasn't the only one. Draco's voice could be heard over the hall. "ME with THAT MUDBLOOD?"  
  
Professor Dumbledore ignored him and continued calling out names.  
  
Finally, it was Oliver's turn.  
  
"Oliver Wood and Cho Chang!" What? Did he hear that wrongly? It was a dream come true! He wanted to leap for joy, but stopped himself in time.  
  
"Yes, yes," Professor Dumbledore added on after everything. "I can see some of you are paired with friends, and some of you are paired with people you do not wish to be paired with. Fear not, I'm sure all of you are going to get along well with each other. Your trip begins tomorrow, so I suggest all of you start to pack today." He raised his glass and toasted everyone in the Great Hall.  
  
After the whole ceremony, Cho walked over to him.  
  
"Hey Oliver, it's great to be paired up with someone I know." She smiled. Oliver felt like melting.  
  
"Yeah, cool," he managed.  
  
"See you tomorrow." She winked and left.  
  
Oliver Wood felt like the happiest boy alive.  
  
. 


	4. Close encounters of the normal kind

Oh well, it's just as well he couldn't get paired up with Cho Chang, but he was paired up with somebody who was almost a stranger! And Oliver had gotten paired up with Cho. It must be a dream come true for him, thought Harry. He sighed, and thought that he might as well pack everything he needed. It would be embarrassing if he had to borrow anything from Hannah. After all, he was supposed to be the one who knew more about Muggles in that pair.  
  
Meanwhile, Ron was grumbling aloud.  
  
"Percy's girlfriend! She must be a perfectionist, like he is. I can't stand Percy, how am I going to stand his girlfriend? I mean, why couldn't they pair me up with someone else, and pair Percy up with her instead?"  
  
"Stop moaning, Ron, and pack," said Harry, grinning at his friend. "I think you'd need more toothpaste."  
  
"You're the expert," said Ron, and put another tube of toothpaste into his bag.  
  
After packing everything, Harry sat back and sighed. He hoped that Hannah was a nice enough girl.  
  
**  
  
"Who did you get paired up with, Percy?" Oliver asked his roommate.  
  
"What? Me? Oh, some girl. Erm. I think her name was Suzie or Susan or something. I can't remember. I can't believe that Ron got paired up with Penny!" said Percy.  
  
"Haha, look on the bright side. At least you know that Penny isn't going to get bullied or anything," grinned Oliver.  
  
"I guess you're right. Who are YOU paired up with?" Percy looked at Oliver.  
  
"Oh. Erm. Cho Chang," muttered Oliver.  
  
"Isn't that the Ravenclaw seeker?" enquired Percy.  
  
"Oh yes. Yes she is," said Oliver, getting distracted again.  
  
"Well, good luck. I think this trip will kill me," grumbled Percy.  
  
"It definitely wouldn't kill me," Oliver muttered under his breath.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." Oliver grinned.  
  
**  
  
"The Hogwart's Express is leaving soon," announced Professor Mcgonagall. "Everyone get into your pairs."  
  
Oliver picked up his backpack and started to look around for Cho Chang. He didn't even need to look carefully. Cho Chang was already coming towards him, dressed in a light blue blouse and a pair of jeans.  
  
"Hey Oliver, you ready yet?" She punched him playfully in the arm.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I am," said Oliver, staring into her dark brown eyes. She was beautiful.  
  
"Oh well, it's time to go then. Quick, let's get on to the train. I have a feeling this trip is going to be great!" said an excited Cho.  
  
"I'm sure it will be," he said, watching the elegant female get onto the train.  
  
**  
  
They were in Muggle London.  
  
"What do we have to do first?" asked Oliver.  
  
"I don't know, check into a hotel, I guess," said Cho, shrugging.  
  
"What's a hotel?" Oliver asked, aware that he sounded like an idiot.  
  
"Oh, it's a sort of boarding house, only that everyone and anyone can stay in there," said Cho, smiling.  
  
"Oh," he said. What more could he say? He didn't know anything here. Cho was the expert. She was the one who knew more, in the pair.  
  
They went into the Muggle hotel and asked for two rooms, and were told that all the rooms were booked, except for one.  
  
"Er, Cho. It's okay, we can always look for another hotel," said Oliver, appalled at the thought he would be sleeping in the same room as her.  
  
"It's all right, Oliver. This one is fine. We'll take it," she said, looking at the receptionist.  
  
Oliver was surprised. She was very open-minded for a girl.  
  
**  
  
They were in room 546.  
  
Oliver looked at the double bed and said, "Er, well, I guess I'd better sleep on the floor."  
  
"No, Oliver. I can't let you do that," she said.  
  
"But there's only one bed, Cho," Oliver said reasonably.  
  
"Well, then I'LL sleep on the floor, and you'll sleep on the bed," grinned Cho.  
  
"NO. You can't do that. You're the girl. I'm the boy. I'll sleep on the floor," said Oliver, surprised.  
  
"Well, in the Muggle society nowadays, girls and boys are equal. In fact, I believe in the magical society the witches and wizards are equal too, aren't they?" said Cho, her white teeth shining as she smiled.  
  
"Oh okay, then we can both sleep on the floor," moaned Oliver, giving up.  
  
"And leave the bed empty? That's silly!" giggled Cho.  
  
"Then what do you want?" asked a bewildered Oliver.  
  
"We can both sleep on the bed. I'm fine with that. Are you?" she said.  
  
"What?" said Oliver, not quite believing his ears. "That seems inappropriate."  
  
"We're in the 20th Century, Oliver. We're not living in the 18th or 19th Century. Besides, we can sleep on the ends of the bed. It'd be okay, Oliver. Come on, I don't want either of us having to sleep on that dirty floor," said Cho, scratching her head as she thought.  
  
"Oh all right."  
  
**  
  
The sun shone brightly in, stinging Oliver's eyes. He blinked and woke up. He was about to get out of bed when he noticed that he was in the middle of the bed. And lying on his side, was Cho, her head slightly touching his shoulder, and one hand on his waist.  
  
Oh my GOSH. What was going on? Oliver thought, in a panic.  
  
What happened, was that neither of them had kept to their side of the bed. Both of them, although edged as far as they could from each other, somehow got into the middle. He looked at Cho, who was practically lying in his arms. He could smell the jasmine scent from her hair. She was beautiful. He brushed her hair aside, and looked into that perfect face. He fought the overpowering urge to kiss her cheek.  
  
No, he finally decided. He couldn't take advantage of her like that, although a kiss on her cheek wasn't considered really taking advantage of the situation. He decided to get up as quietly and lightly as he could so as to let Cho sleep a little while longer. But no sooner had he tried to get Cho's hand away, she stirred. She opened her eyes.  
  
"Oliver? What's going on?" she mumbled, half asleep.  
  
"Nothing. Apart from the fact we somehow got into the middle of the bed," said an embarrassed Oliver.  
  
"Oh," said Cho, looking around. "Okay. You want to brush your teeth first?"  
  
Oliver was surprised. She was really open-minded. She didn't even mind such a close encounter with a boy!  
  
"Erm, you can go first," he finally said.  
  
"Okay!" she said, getting out of bed cheerfully.  
  
Oliver sat on the bed, still stunned. He didn't know what to think. 


	5. Are they all having fun?

"Hey Oliver, let's get out of here," said Cho, after brushing her teeth. "It's such a bright sunny day! I want to enjoy it!"  
  
"Where do you want to go, Cho?" said Oliver curiously.  
  
"Where would YOU want to go?" Cho responded, grinning cheekily.  
  
"Anywhere where you think we could have fun, I guess. After all, the team that has the most fun at the end of the week wins 100 points each for the house they're in," said Oliver.  
  
"What? What do you mean by team that has the most fun? I didn't hear Professor Dumbledore saying anything about it!" Cho Chang frowned and looked at Oliver. Oliver noticed that her beautiful brown eyes were filling up with confusion.  
  
"Oh. I guess I forgot to tell you. Professor Mcgonagall just told all the males that the team that has the most fun would win the 100 points. I mean, she didn't think there was enough space for the boys and girls in that small train cabin. Well. So there you have it. Team that has the most fun wins," said Oliver, grinning.  
  
"How would they know how much fun we had?" asked Cho.  
  
"Well, they have the Sorting Hat," Oliver smiled. "Do you want to win the 100 points?"  
  
"Oh yes! Definitely," said Cho with an impish grin.  
  
"So where do you want to go?" asked Oliver.  
  
Cho pondered for a while. "I know a place where we can definitely have lots of fun," she said, grabbing Oliver's hand excitedly and pulling him out of the door. "Let's go to the ice-skating rink!"  
  
"Erm Cho," said Oliver.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't you want to change first? I certainly don't want to go out in my pyjamas," said Oliver, pointing at his own attire.  
  
"Oh!" Cho grinned. She looked at herself. "Come on let's get changed. Quick quick quick!"  
  
**  
  
Meanwhile, at a hotel not so far away.  
  
"DRACO MALFOY! ARE YOU DONE YET?!" Hermione shouted angrily, trying to get her voice through the bathroom door. Malfoy was taking a very very long bath.  
  
"Hey Mudblood," came the response. "It doesn't mean that if you don't want to wash yourself properly, I can't take my bath too."  
  
"I took my bath one hour ago and you've been in that bathroom since then! GET OUT OF THAT BATH! NOW!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"Fine, fine," said Malfoy, coming out of the bathroom. Dressed in a dark green t-shirt and jeans, he looked almost handsome. He flicked his wet blond hair away from his eyes, and stared coolly with steel blue eyes at Hermione. "So what do you want to do now? I really don't like spending one whole week with a Mudblood, you know."  
  
Hermione bristled at the insult, but she was already too used to it to care. "Malfoy, don't you remember? The pair that has the most fun gets the 100 points each. And I'm sure you need those 100 points badly, Malfoy. Remember the mess you made out of the Slytherin common room during that midnight party? Got caught and lost 70 points, didn't you?" She grinned smugly. Malfoy's face turned red.  
  
"Fine! So where do you suggest going to now, Muggle-born witch?"  
  
"Ha! I know just the place," said the young Gryffindor witch, grinning.  
  
"What? Don't tell me it's the library!" a look of shock passed the blond- haired Slytherin wizard's face.  
  
"I'm not that boring, Malfoy, even if you are. I'm bringing you to a games arcade," she said.  
  
"What? A what?"  
  
"A games arcade. Never mind, I'll explain on the way there. We're already in Day Two of the trip and I don't want to waste anymore time," said Hermione, looking in the mirror and smoothing down her dark purple t-shirt.  
  
**  
  
"Hey Ron?" said Penelope Clearwater doubtfully. "Surely you don't think Percy is. . .jealous?"  
  
"What? What makes you think so?" said Ron, frowning.  
  
"Well, look at the letter he sent me via owl," said Penelope, pushing the note towards Ron.  
  
Ron shrugged, and started reading. The note said:  
  
'Dear Penelope, I hope you're doing well. Are you having a nice time with my brother Ron? Is he treating you well? You'd better tell me everything that happened between you and him when you get back. I will be waiting for your recount. Love, Percy.'  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. Typical Percy.  
  
"Well, I guess he IS jealous. But nothing happened! Why should you be afraid?" asked Ron.  
  
"I guess I'm just worried he'd be upset, that's all," said Penelope.  
  
"Don't worry about that old hatrack," responded Ron. Penelope winced at the remark against Percy. "We're just friends. And I'm glad we're friends. If I hadn't got to know you better on that train, I would have thought you were a stiff and bossy person like Percy. And I can't believe you like Chudley Cannons too! You're really cool, Penelope. And don't let Percy spoil our fun."  
  
Penelope blushed. "You're really nice, Ron. But don't misunderstand Percy. He's just worried about me. He's really sweet and caring and gen--" She was cut off by Ron. "Really Penelope, you can go on and on about Percy. Enough about him. This trip was supposed to be fun." Ron winked.  
  
"Oh all right, Ron. Hey! I've got this wonderful place to go to!" said Penelope excitedly.  
  
"What? Where?"  
  
"If you're game enough, you can try this sport. It's called wind-surfing!" Penelope grinned.  
  
"Wind what? What's that?"  
  
He really is a pure-bred wizard, thought Penelope.  
  
"You'll know when we get there, come on!"  
  
**  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yes, Hannah?"  
  
"It's getting boring, let's go somewhere else," Hannah Abbot said.  
  
"Personally I'm having fun," Harry responded, grinning.  
  
"Yes, but I can't understand Parseltongue and I don't know what you're saying to it. Him. It," sighed Hannah.  
  
"Oh all right." Harry stopped talking to the snake.  
  
Harry and Hannah were at the zoo, where he had gotten into a spirited conversation with a King Cobra.  
  
"So Hannah, where do you want to go?" he asked.  
  
"Well, you're the expert, Harry," admitted Hannah.  
  
"Hmm. I know! Let's go bowling!" said Harry.  
  
"What? Bowling? What're we going to do with a bowl?"  
  
Harry sighed. He knew this would happen. It always happened with Ron. More often than not, pure-bred wizards did not understand much of the Muggle language.  
  
"Come on, I'll show you when we're there." 


	6. Theme parks and Haunted houses.

Oliver Wood was slipping all over the ice. Although he could ride a broomstick very well, he could not ice-skate. Cho Chang laughed as Oliver kept falling.  
  
"Come on, Oliver, let me help you," she said, grinning.  
  
"Sheesh! Ice-skating, you call it? I can't get the hang of it!" Oliver's perfect face had twisted into an expression of hopelessness.  
  
"Come on. Give me your hand," Cho said, grabbing one of Oliver's gloved hands. "Okay, it's just step by step. Just go slowly. Try not to fall."  
  
"Hmm," Oliver said, as he managed to skate properly on the ice as he went slowly. "I guess I'm getting the hang of-OOPS! YIKES!"  
  
Those people standing close by would have seen Oliver crashing onto the ice once again, only that this time he pulled Cho Chang down with him.  
  
"Owww. Oliver!" said Cho, landing on top of him.  
  
"I'm really sorry Cho, I--I--" He noticed that Cho was staring at him.  
  
"Oliver? Has anyone told you that you're really good-looking?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Well, I. Erm. I don't know," he finally managed.  
  
Cho shook herself awake from her daze. Funny how she never noticed that Oliver was incredibly handsome, she thought.  
  
"Come on, Oliver. It won't be fun if you keep falling on the ice," she grinned. "Let's go to another place."  
  
**  
  
It was a theme park.  
  
"What is this place?" Oliver asked, frowning.  
  
"It's called a theme park, Oliver," said Cho. " The rides here are almost as fun as riding a broomstick and swooshing around during Quidditch."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, of course," smiled Cho. "Let's take the roller-coaster first!"  
  
"The what?"  
  
"Never mind. It's fun, just know that," she laughed.  
  
**  
  
After all the rides, Oliver was laughing, and he couldn't stop talking about the fun he had.  
  
"The roller-coaster was a really dizzy ride! Haha! I was worried I would fall out when the thing turned upside down! And the Viking was really really cool! And--" Cho interrupted his recount by saying, "Oliver, that's the tenth time you're talking about it. I know it's fun. Hmm. It's getting dark."  
  
"Yeah, should we be going back to the hotel soon?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Not that soon. I'm going to take you to one more place," Cho replied.  
  
"What? Where?"  
  
"It's called the Fawnings House. I've heard it was haunted and never dared to go in there. Would you go there with me, just to see if it's haunted?" said Cho, looking hopefully at Oliver.  
  
"Why not?" Oliver grinned. "Let's go!"  
  
It turned out to be their biggest mistake.  
  
**  
  
"Oliver," whispered Cho. "Do you see anything?"  
  
They were in the Fawnings House, sweeping the cobwebs aside. Cho's really afraid, thought Oliver, she's gripping my hand so hard it hurts. As they looked around the old broken-down house, they suddenly heard a noise in the attic. Oliver put his finger on his lips and pointed upwards. Cho nodded, her face full of fear. Slowly, they walked upwards, taking the stairs.  
  
Suddenly, one of the stairs gave way. And Cho Chang fell right into it!  
  
"CHO!" shouted Oliver, in shock. She had slipped and fallen all the way INTO the stairs! How was that possible?  
  
"CHO! Can you hear me?" Oliver tried again. It happened so suddenly! Cho was gone just like that! For a moment, the coward in him thought of running out of the house, leaving Cho to fend for herself. But Oliver Wood was not from Gryffindor for nothing. He was one of the bravest in Hogwarts. He jumped into the hole in which Cho Chang had fallen through, to look for her.  
  
The moment he landed on the ground, the room seemed to twist, and it turned, almost magically, into another room. This house was not haunted! It was full of enchantments!  
  
And it was going to trap Oliver and Cho inside it. 


	7. Where are you?!

Cho opened her eyes. Where am I? she thought to herself. The last thing she remembered was walking up the stairs together with Oliver, and then the stair she was standing on gave way. She had felt a pain on the back of her head before everything went black. Now . . . she didn't know where she was. She was quite sure she was still in the Fawnings House. She tried to stand up, and discovered the pain on the back of her head was still there. She stood up, despite the pain. Which part of the House was she in? And where was Oliver? She looked around. He definitely wasn't in the same room as she was.  
  
"I hope he didn't run off. He's in Gryffindor!" she muttered to herself.  
  
She spotted a door. Hmmm.  
  
**  
  
Oliver opened the door. He looked outside. All he saw was a corridor, and a flight of steps leading down. Damn. He didn't know which part of the house he was in! How was he even going to find Cho like this? The Fawnings House was extremely big, almost rivalling Hogwarts in size. He was never going to find his way out, the way the house was twisting and changing. It was difficult for him to even stay in one place for a few minutes. Every time he was in one place, it would change a few minutes later. Hmm. Nothing was changing at the moment. Maybe this was the time to start searching for Cho properly. He walked down the long winding staircase.  
  
**  
  
"Cho Chang."  
  
Cho turned. Something . . . or someone was calling her name. It definitely wasn't Oliver's voice. She was sure of it.  
  
"Cho Chang."  
  
Who, or what, was that?  
  
"It has been long, Cho Chang."  
  
She turned again, her heart pounding. A boy was standing behind her. A fading, ghostly boy.  
  
"Who are you? And what do you want?" she said, trying to ignore her fear.  
  
"Cho, I've missed you. I've missed you so much," he said, reaching forward to touch her face.  
  
Cho backed away. "What do you want?" she said, her voice almost turning into a shriek of fright.  
  
"Don't you remember me, Cho?" said the pale, ghostly boy.  
  
"I've never known you, I'm sure of it," Cho Chang said firmly.  
  
"You've grown more beautiful, Cho. I've watched you. I know you. You used to play outside this house, and I've always watched you. I've tried often to get you to come in, but you had a strong will. You resisted my power. And now, you're finally inside. You could not fight me. I knew it. I knew that all I had to do was wait. . . wait for you to come back. And you have come back. To me," he said, smiling a pale, ghostly smile. It was a simple looking smile, but it looked frightening on the boy's obsessed, white face.  
  
"What do you want? Don't touch me!" she shouted.  
  
"I want you to stay here with me, Cho. Forever," the boy grinned. He reached out and grabbed Cho.  
  
A scream pierced through the silent house.  
  
**  
  
That scream! That voice! It was Cho's! Oliver looked around frantically.  
  
"Cho! Where are you?!" he shouted. It was agonizing.  
  
Another scream pierced the quiet air.  
  
"CHO!"  
  
Oliver ran down towards the sound of her scream. The house twisted and turned and Oliver found himself in a brand new room.  
  
"DAMN IT! STOP CHANGING ROOMS!" Oliver said, frustrated. Very very frustrated.  
  
He opened the door and ran down the corridor. He came to the staircase. It looked like the same one. In fact, Oliver already couldn't care less if it was the same one. All he wanted to do was to get downstairs so he could track where the sound of her voice had been. All he needed to do now was to find out which part of the house he was in, and this was almost impossible.  
  
"Argh!!!!" he cried out in frustration.  
  
"OLIVER!" came the scream.  
  
Cho was calling out to him! He needed to find her! Someone, or something was hurting her! He needed to find her. He needed to find her right now.  
  
But he had no idea how. 


	8. Explanations and Discoveries.

"OLIVER!"  
  
"Who is this 'Oliver'? Is he your. . . boyfriend?" said the boy, his face suddenly turning paler, if that was possible at all.  
  
"Oliver . . . Oliver will save me, I'm sure of it," said Cho, glaring the ghost in the eye. "He won't let you get away with this."  
  
The ghost had tied Cho Chang up in a chair. She couldn't move now. He reached out and stroked her face. His hand felt horribly damp and cold.  
  
"Even if he wants to get me, he won't know how. My house is full of enchantments. Every time he wants to get to one place it will twist and turn and place him in another. It is impossible for him to find you. Give it up, Cho Chang. It seems like your boyfriend will be trapped forever in this house, just like you are going to be." The ghost laughed. It was a horrible sound.  
  
Cho was angry, but she decided to find out more about the ghostly boy first.  
  
"So tell me, who are you? And why are you here? And WHY ARE YOU KEEPING ME HERE?!" she said, unable to control her emotions at the last phrase.  
  
"I am Joe Fawnings. I used to live here. Until my father killed me," he said. His eyes suddenly lost their obsessed glow and became filled with sadness.  
  
"What? Your FATHER killed you? Why?" Cho suddenly pitied him, although she knew there was no point in pitying a ghost that was probably going to keep her here until she died.  
  
"He was a follower of Lord Voldemort. Somehow Lord Voldemort had ordered him to kill me. And he did. He never loved me anyway. I guess I was better off dead. I have stayed here since then, haunting this house, and watching the people go by. Nobody dared to stay in here, because my father had bewitched the place, causing it to turn into a sort of magical maze. The rooms would change their positions any minute, and anyone standing in this house would have found himself being moved from one room to another. It is impossible for anyone to get out, once he has come in. Which is what is happening to. . .Oliver now," he grinned his ghostly grin.  
  
Cho scowled. She wished she had her wand with her so she could zap the ghost away. But she had left her wand at Hogwarts. If she had her wand here. . . that ghost would experience death all over again.  
  
"But," he continued. "One day, I saw this girl playing outside this house. She caught my attention because she was bright and beautiful. She was like a bright ray of sunshine, a fresh breath of air. Her hair was long and brown and her laughter was like the song of birds. She had beautiful brown eyes that were so intense and shiny. Yes Cho Chang, that girl was you. I decided immediately that I wanted you here with me. It wouldn't be so lonely with you in here. You would brighten up my dark days, Cho Chang. I've tried many times to pull you in with my magical powers, but you resisted all of them. Your will was strong. I couldn't get you into the house, and I couldn't go outside to get you. It hurt to know that something so near was so far. And then you moved away. You went to Hogwarts, I heard. It cut me deep. I missed you. I thought of you, until I almost went mad. I realised that I was never going to get you again. Or at least I thought so. And then you came back all of a sudden, and for the first time, you stepped into my house. Your first step in here was already the sign that you were going to be mine forever." He laughed. He ran his cold, damp fingers through her long hair.  
  
Cho Chang bit her lip. Where was Oliver?! Had he met with some terrible fate? Oh yes, she suddenly remembered, he was trapped in the ever-changing house.  
  
**  
  
"Damn!" said Oliver, as the rooms changed again. He was never going to find Cho like that. Never. If only he could find the front door. That would be near the staircase Cho Chang fell into. But how? He couldn't even get out of the bloody rooms! Oliver was frustrated, angry, upset. If he looked into the Mirror Of Erised now he would definitely have seen himself finding Cho. That was the thing he desired most now. That was the thing he wanted most.  
  
The rooms shifted and changed again. Oliver felt like giving up. He sat down on the changing floors and buried his face in his hands. Frustration and sadness built up. As a Keeper, he had saved so many Quaffles. He had stopped so many people from scoring. But now, he couldn't even save the girl he loved most. He couldn't even stop harm from coming to her.  
  
Suddenly he got up. Damn! He wasn't even trying! He had to try to find her, he didn't care how long it took.  
  
"Now Oliver, think. How will you get to the front door? The only way you'll get to the front door is if you get out of the house and go in again, I expect. And how are you going to get out of the house? If there's no door. . . Yes, the only way to get out is. . . through the WINDOW! Damn! Why didn't I think of that sooner?!" he said to himself. He could have kicked himself. Through the WINDOW! That was so obvious! He looked out the window. It was also another good way of knowing where he was, he discovered. He could see the difference on the outside. Fortunately, Oliver was currently on a second floor room. Without hesitation he jumped out.  
  
He had landed almost right in front of the front door. He was going to have to move fast if he wanted to get down the hole in the stairs without getting into the trap of the shifting rooms again.  
  
In fact, he had to move VERY fast. 


	9. "I'm sorry..."

Oliver held his breath. He was going to have to rush in. With a cry he ran through the front door, and towards the staircase Cho had fell into. He jumped in immediately. He landed with a thud.  
  
"Cho!" he said, relieved. However, he noticed that she wasn't alone.  
  
"Oliver!" Cho said. "Watch out!"  
  
A blast of magic almost caught him, if his Keeper reflexes hadn't been fast enough. He looked around and saw the pale ghostly boy coming towards him.  
  
"Don't you dare try to take Cho Chang away," said the ghost. "You will never succeed."  
  
"Who are you?" said Oliver, anger flashing in his eyes.  
  
"You don't need to know that. You only need to know that Cho Chang belongs to ME!" said the pale boy, and sent another spell in Oliver's direction.  
  
Oliver dodged it, but this time he didn't manage to get away in time. The spell hit his arm, and a deep red cut appeared at the side of the arm. It started bleeding profusely.  
  
"Oh damn. This is NOT the time to be without a wand!" he muttered to himself. Another curse came flying past and Oliver dodged it again. He was not going to be able to keep this up for long.  
  
Cho Chang noticed that. Oliver is going to die, he's going to die if I don't think of a way to help him, she thought frantically. Oliver can't die. . .he can't die. If he died what was I going to do?  
  
"JOE! Stop it! If you'll let Oliver go I'll promise to stay here forever with you!" she shouted suddenly.  
  
"Really?" said Fawnings, stopping.  
  
"NO! Cho, you can't do this! I can't let you do this, Cho!" Oliver said, shocked.  
  
"Oliver, I'm sorry. I can't let you die. I'm sorry. . .because I've fallen in love with you, Oliver," she said, her voice almost becoming a whisper.  
  
"Cho. . . I can't let you sacrifice yourself for me, because I've fallen in love with you too. I'm sorry," he said, looking into her eyes, which were now filled with tears.  
  
He turned to Fawnings. "Kill me if you want! But let Cho Chang go."  
  
The ghost laughed. "That's so touching. I'm going to cry. A pair of lovebirds tries to sacrifice themselves for each other! Hahaha! I've decided that I'm going to keep you both! I'm going to kill the boy first, and I'm going to keep Cho Chang in here forever!" He fired another curse at Oliver. The human boy dodged it again.  
  
Cho Chang pulled at her bonds. She had been trying to get free since just now, and was succeeding. The knots were getting loose. Cho Chang suddenly felt glad that she had joined the Girl Guides when she was younger. The ropes that had bounded her tightly were now coming off. She looked at Oliver. He was already tired and it seemed like he couldn't hold out any longer. Fawnings fired curse after curse at him, and Oliver's strength was already draining away. Any moment now and the curse was going to hit him. Fortunately Fawnings didn't seem to want to use the Avada Kedavra curse. He was probably afraid of hurting Cho Chang. He was firing a sort of curse that causes the part that was hit by it to bleed. He was aiming for Oliver's heart, she realised.  
  
Oliver Wood was defeated. He couldn't dodge the curses any much longer. He lay, tired, on the ground near Cho Chang's chair. He had failed. He hadn't been able to protect Cho Chang. He would die for his mistake. He would die protecting the girl he loved. Suddenly he felt proud. Maybe he was going to be as famous as Harry Potter, the only difference was that Harry was alive and Oliver was going to be dead very soon.  
  
He saw the curse coming straight at him. He didn't have anymore strength to move aside anymore.  
  
"NO!" he heard Cho Chang cry, and before he knew it, she had thrown herself on top on him. The curse hit her on the back. She screamed in pain.  
  
"CHO! WHAT?!" Fawnings said, in shock.  
  
"NO! CHO! YOU CAN'T . . .!" said Oliver, pulling her into his arms. Her back was bleeding. There was blood all over her t-shirt and her long hair. His hands were smeared with her blood.  
  
"Oliver. . .I--I--am sorry. I'm not going back to H-H-Hogwarts with you," she forced a smile, and reached up a weak hand to touch his face.  
  
"What?! No! This can't be happening! It's like a Muggle soap opera! NO!" he said, holding her closer to him.  
  
"Oh, so you watch Muggle soap operas too?" She tried to laugh, but she ended up coughing lots of blood onto his shirt.  
  
Oliver looked at Fawnings. "See what you have done?! Look at what you have done to her! She's going to die! And it's all YOUR fault. GET OUT OF THE WAY, DAMN YOU!" he shouted, as he picked Cho Chang up in his arms and struggled to his feet. Holding Cho Chang close, he ran out of the Fawnings House.  
  
Joe Fawnings knelt down on the ground. He had never seen love like that. She had sacrificed herself although she knew Oliver Wood would die anyway. She would rather die in his arms than stay with me, he thought to himself. That was love. All Fawnings had was a crazy obsession with her. A crazy obsession that had gone wild over the years of not seeing her. A crazy obsession that will kill her. It was his entire fault. Oliver Wood was right about him. It was all his fault.  
  
Joe Fawnings buried his pale face in his cold hands, and wept icy tears. 


	10. Save her...please.

Oliver Wood ran out of the House. The moment he stepped outside, the house seemed to shimmer. And that it vanished. The only sound that he heard was a cry of agony from the inside of the house.  
  
Oliver didn't have much strength left, but he kept running. He needed to get Cho Chang to the hospital this instant or she would die from too much bleeding. She couldn't die. He wouldn't let her die. Not like that. He loved her too much.  
  
He was jolted away from his thoughts when Cho Chang coughed some more blood onto him.  
  
"Oli--ver. . ."  
  
"Shh, Cho. Don't say anything. Save up your strength, keep breathing," he whispered.  
  
And then he tripped.  
  
He tripped, sprawling all over the floor, and Cho Chang fell from his arms.  
  
Damn.  
  
But Oliver couldn't get up anymore. He was too tired, and he had sprained his ankle. Cho Chang was dying. He struggled to his feet, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his right ankle. He fell again. If he couldn't stand anymore, how was he going to run?  
  
He wasn't going to watch the girl he loved bleed to death right in front of him. But did he have a choice?  
  
" 'Love you, Oliver," came the whisper  
  
**  
  
Cho had felt Oliver lift her off her feet as he ran out of the House. He had held her close to him, and was rushing her to the hospital. But Cho knew. She knew she was dying.  
  
"Oli--ver. . ." she had started. She wanted to tell Oliver that she loved him. She wanted to let Oliver know, before she died, that she was happy that he stepped into her life somehow, although he was a little late.  
  
He had told her not to say anything but to concentrate on breathing. She had wanted to tell him everything before she ran out of breath. But then he had suddenly tripped and Cho Chang had fell from his arms. She watched him trying to struggle to his feet. She saw his agony. How were they even going to get out of this mess?  
  
" 'Love you, Oliver," she had said, with the little strength she had. And then the whole world blacked out and she felt no more.  
  
**  
  
"CHO! No! Wake up! You can't. . .you can't just leave me behind like that. GET UP, CHO!"  
  
He crawled up to her and he tried to shake her awake. But she wouldn't get up.  
  
Harry Potter and Hannah Abbot suddenly appeared.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked, face turning pale.  
  
"She wouldn't get up, Harry. She won't get up. She's not all right. She won't get up," Oliver said, in shock. "Get her to Hogwarts, Harry. Quick. Please. Do whatever you can."  
  
Oliver Wood watched as Harry Potter stuck out his right arm at the main road, as if hailing a cab, and then picked Cho Chang up in his arms. A giant purple Triple-decker bus appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"Hannah, help Oliver up," he said.  
  
A young man stepped out of the bus.  
  
"Oh my gosh, she's bleedin'! Ern, she's bleedin'!"  
  
"Yes. And get us to Hogwarts, quick. Pull the young man onto the bus as well," said Harry hurriedly.  
  
**  
  
Time was running out. Cho Chang didn't seem to wake up. It looked like she was never going to wake up. Harry felt for the pulse on her neck. Fortunately, it was still there. It was faint, but still there. But she wasn't breathing. Harry had no idea what had happened, all he knew was that he had to get her to Madam Pomfrey. Her heart was still beating though. That was rather fortunate. Harry kept his fingers on her neck, just in case her heart stopped. Oliver Wood was lying on the chair behind him, worry filling those tired brown eyes. They arrived at Hogwarts, finally.  
  
"She'll be okay, Wood. Her heart is still beating. At least," he told the worried Keeper.  
  
Harry had spoken too soon.  
  
Cho Chang's pulse faded. . . and disappeared. 


	11. All's Well That Ends Well

Harry dashed out of the Knight bus and straight towards the hospital wing, without a word. Her pulse. . .no. . .it must've been him hallucinating.  
  
"MADAM POMFREY HER PULSE. . .!!" he shouted in panic and shock.  
  
"What?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Harry, and at Cho in his arms. "Oh dear. Oh dear."  
  
"Can you save her?" he asked, lying her onto the bed.  
  
"I'll try," said the matron.  
  
**  
  
Harry had just dashed out of the bus like that, without a word. . .did something happen to Cho? Oliver Wood thought to himself. No. . .Cho. He ran out of the Knight Bus, his ankle still hurting. The corridors were empty because everyone was still on their Muggle trip. Limping, he ran straight to the hospital wing.  
  
Harry Potter was waiting outside. He was crying. The boy. . .one of the bravest in Hogwarts. . . he was crying.  
  
"Harry! WHAT HAPPENED?!"  
  
"Her pulse stopped, Wood. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't want her to die," Harry said, trying to wipe his tears away.  
  
This was too much for Oliver. "Damn. It was my fault. MY FAULT. She wouldn't have died because I should've been the one to die!"  
  
He collapsed, tiredness and sadness overwhelming him.  
  
**  
  
Oliver Wood blinked. Where was he? The whole place was such a blur.  
  
He blinked again. Lights. And the whole place was white. The hospital wing! Cho! Where was she?  
  
He got up, ignoring the ache in his body. Lying on the next bed was Cho Chang.  
  
She was breathing.  
  
Thank God! thought Oliver Wood. A sharp searing pain in his arm caused him to wince in pain. There was a piece of bandage around his arm. And then he remembered that he had been hit by the spell there. He wondered if he would be able to play Quidditch again, with that pain in his arm. But now, Quidditch was not his first concern. It was the girl lying on the next bed. The beautiful seeker would now have a scar on her back. And it was all his fault. It was fortunate that she didn't die. If she did, Oliver didn't know how he was going to continue living his life as if nothing happened. He didn't know how he'd be able to forget her, and how she had died because of him.  
  
But now, she was alive.  
  
"Young Wood, I see that you're awake," said a voice.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Oliver said, when he saw who it was.  
  
"Well. Would you mind telling me what happened?" the headmaster said kindly.  
  
And so Oliver began his story about the House, and the ghost, and how they tried to escape, and how Cho almost died because of him. The headmaster listened, nodding his head at times to show that he was listening.  
  
"And so, Professor. It was actually my fault. She wouldn't have been in this state if it weren't for me," ended Oliver.  
  
"Well, Oliver. . .it's not your fault, I must say. It is strange how willing she is to sacrifice herself for you only after knowing you better for a few days. Her devotion for you must be most. . .strong," said Professor Dumbledore, smiling.  
  
Oliver turned red. "Actually sir, she is a very special girl." And then, aware of what he said, hurriedly added in, "Sir, when is she going to wake up?"  
  
"Not anytime soon, Wood. She still needs her rest. And so do you. Go back to sleep, do not worry about her. She is in safe hands," responded the Headmaster.  
  
Oliver nodded. When Professor Dumbledore left, he looked at Cho Chang. She was still beautiful, no matter what happened. She would always be beautiful.  
  
**  
  
"It is now time to announce which pair had the most fun in their trip," said Professor Dumbledore to the entire student population in the Great Hall.  
  
Oliver Wood looked at Cho Chang, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table. She looked back, and smiled.  
  
"One from each pair would come out, and the Sorting Hat would be put onto your head. Now, sit in your pairs, regardless of house." Professor Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.  
  
There was a mass shuffle in the Great Hall. Cho Chang walked over to the Gryffindor table. Oliver's ankle wasn't any better yet. She sat beside him, and held his hand.  
  
"I don't think we're going to win, but anyway, I had the greatest time of my life there," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Me too, Cho. Me too," came the response.  
  
One by one, students went to the Sorting Hat. And then it was Oliver's turn. He limped slowly towards the Hat and put it on.  
  
"Well, well," the Hat muttered. "Looks like you had the most exciting adventure there. And oh yes, there's a new found love, and I can see lots of things have happened. Okay. I'm done. You can go back to your seat."  
  
Everyone had already tried on the Sorting Hat, and now was the time the results were announced.  
  
"The winners of the trip are. . .Ron Weasley and Penelope Clearwater!"  
  
There were cheers from the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Ron hugged Penelope. Oliver caught Percy scowling slightly. He laughed.  
  
"Oh well," said Cho. "It's still Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." She winked.  
  
-The End- 


End file.
